Something To Be Thankful For
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: 5x07. Everyone gathered around that table for Thanksgiving. Including Frost. Quick tag to the dinner scene in the episode.


**A/N: I loved the last episode, and wanted to make an end-note. So I did.**

"Let's get carving," Iris said.

Caitlin looked around the table, smiling as Sherloque asked for his own turkey and Iris told him they would be sharing the one. As Cisco surreptitiously tried to switch Sherloque's most recent glass with an emptier one. As Nora looked up at Barry as he started carving, with absolute devotion in her expression.

Ralph, Joe, and Cecile were missing, but for the most part, her family was all right here. All the family that mattered, anyway. Yet she still felt a trace of unease, as she passed down plates with fresh turkey on them. It wasn't until Barry had finished carving everyone's first plate-full and taken a seat that she identified the cause of her unease: something Frost had said earlier. _I have the least to be thankful for, since I spent most of this year unconscious._

Frost hadn't sounded bitter, when she'd said it. She'd been stating a fact, to get Cisco and Sherloque to come to the loft and celebrate. Caitlin had heard her pretty clearly. She'd also understood that, although Frost's tone hadn't betrayed anything, her counterpart was a bit melancholy.

"Excuse me," Caitlin said.

Barry looked up, a fork halfway between his mouth and plate. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Caitlin scooted her chair back and stood. "Yeah. I'll be right back."

The murmur of conversation around the table was steady as Caitlin walked towards the bathroom. When she got there, she closed the door behind her, flicked on the light, and stared into the mirror. "You there?" she asked.

It took a few seconds, and then Frost's voice surfaced in her mind. _You should be back at that table._

"I wanted to talk to you."

 _You can do that anytime, Caity. You don't have to worry about not being able to talk anymore._

Caitlin almost smiled. Of course Frost thought she was worried about that. She'd been worried about it until that morning, when Frost had spoken to her without the mental activity dampener on her forehead. "I know that."

 _Then get back to them!_

There was more force behind the words now. Always to the point.

"We will," Caitlin said, "but you're going to be in charge."

Frost was quiet for a second. Then, in a slightly guarded tone: _I'm fine, Caity. I don't –_

"No arguing," Caitlin said, trying to be as forceful as her counterpart. "You've missed a lot this year. You deserve to have Thanksgiving with your family."

She stared at her reflection as Frost was quiet again, for what seemed like a long stretch, and thought she saw a shimmer in her eyes as Frost said _thank you._

No armor. No cockiness. Jut sincerity, and… warmth. It made Caitlin fully smile as Frost came out, and Caitlin took a backseat in their mind.

Frost stared at her reflection in the mirror, still smiling. "You're really stubborn sometimes, you know that?" she asked.

 _It gets results,_ Caitlin's voice said, with a slight laugh.

Frost couldn't deny that, and walked back to the table the others were gathered around with a light step. They looked up as she reached her chair, and she took in their immediate reactions. They seemed surprised, pausing in their conversations and eating. She briefly wondered if she shouldn't have come out like this, but beneath that surprise was something positive.

 _Sit down,_ Caitlin said gently.

She did, looking at the others again once she was at her place at the table.

"Didn't expect to see you here," Cisco said.

"Caitlin told Barry I was coming," she said, in a confident tone. "I didn't want to disappoint."

Barry gave her a wry grin, and Cisco touched her arm for a second.

"We've got plenty of food, so you guys better dig in," Iris said. She speared some turkey on her fork. "It's gonna get cold."

Iris had a teasing look on her face as she met Frost's eyes and half-smiled, and Frost groaned. "I can't believe you just made that joke."

"What, not funny?" Iris asked.

"Uh…" Barry hesitated.

"No," Sherloque said bluntly.

Frost shook her head, smiling despite herself. What a bunch of dorks.

She started eating, listening to the conversations around her and letting the cozy atmosphere relax her. Sherloque started discussing the basics of humor, causing Cisco and Nora to frequently interject with corrections. Barry and Iris contented themselves just listening as well, until Cisco said Barry couldn't be funny. Then everyone was in on it, and the quiet table started to get a little louder.

They were definitely dorks, but they were her dorks. Caity had been right about her needing this.

It was easily the best holiday she could remember.


End file.
